The Washington bee., 1887-02-12
Mobile, Ala, Feb. 6, 1887.

4hI. LulLOI.--I HOItCCd buAG lhO
Montgomery Herald in defending
the so-calIed "Colored Worlds
Exposition" sees fit to brand the
BEE as a willful prevaricator and
accuses the Negro american, Of
which [ am the editor, of incon-
sistency. That the colored peo-
pie who may have read glittering
press reports OF the would ike-to-
be-expoSition, be not deceived [
send this communication to in
form them that the whole affair
is rotten humbug of the first
water. For the past 5 weeks [
have been visiting for my health
in Mobile. Before leaving Bir-
mingham [ wrote an editorial in
the Negro American opposing the
scheme, not because | was not In
favor of such a display as proposed
but because [ found out that the
sole purpose Of the protector was
to recuperate his shattered for
tune. [ left the editorial man
agement of the Negro american
in charge of Prof. John jackson.
[ learned a few days ago that Mr..
Jackson came out in favor of the
exposition, for this the Herald ac-
cuse5 me of inconsistency, when
at the same time the editor knew
nothing of the article. Now MIR.
Editor SOME time ago MIR. Philip
Joseph asked me if wodld not
sign as one of the iscorporators
of the "WorId's Fair" [ con-
sented and became one of the five
incorporators. [ expected that
the leading men In this aud other
states would come together and
devise plans by which, an expo
sition would be held creditable to
the race aud country, but no such
meeting has ever been held, or
even proposed l defy retutatlOn
when [ say that a meeting of the
colored men whose names are at
tached to the circulars, has never
been held, in fact not over half OF
them know that their names are
being used. Mr.. Joseph met, Mr..
Joseph organized, Mr.. Joseph
named, Mr.. Joseph appointed, Mr..
Joseph choosed McElnee as presi-
dent, aud all the other officers,
some of them he notified several
weeks afterward and some he
never rotifed. Mr.. Joseph is
head, tail, middle and half Of this
whole scheme to gull the public.
The gentlemen whose names are
associated with his on the circular
are all honest Christian gentlemen
but they are not acquainted with
the facts in the case; they are be-
ing used to further his humbugery
as | was used for one of the in
corporators "to get it through
The reason Mr.. Joseph went to
Birmingham was because such
prominent men of Montgomery as
DR.. Dorsett, Mr.. Hartman of the
Odd Fellows journal; Messrs. Ls-
gan Bradford, Alexander and
others denounced it as a fraud
Rev. Mr.. Foster whose name ap-
peared as one of the officers. and
even Mr.. Dukes editor of the
Herald, who is now 'championing'
it expressed their surprise to me
personality when they saw from
the papers that Mr.. Joseph was
trying to get the citizens OF Bir-
mingham to "catch on" Several
white mopopolists did promise in
my presence to give land and
money, providing Congress made
the appropriation; but what of that?
it still remains Phillip Joseph
affair; and it is assumed imperti-
nence for him to represent without
their consent such men as Tanner,
Derrick, Greener, Pinchback,
Turner, Payne, Lee, Smythe. Will
liams, Bruce, Lynch, Langston,
Fortune and scores of others, and